Simple Ways to Improve Coaching
Sitting in the offices for one of the largest online travel agencies we discussed how to improve agent performance and decrease agent turnover. After listening to calls, talking to agents and management, reviewing the technology stack, and looking at the data from every perspective, we came to an important conclusion. A lot of the problems would be solved with a more effective coaching and training program.
Why would this make such a big difference? According to the Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report only 21% of employees are engaged at work. Low engagement leads to poorer performance and higher turnover. Companies have spent spend extreme amounts of money on breakrooms, lunches, and other perks that they feel engage with employees. As COVID has shown, that engagement goes far beyond these perks.
Engagement can come in many forms, but the biggest form is through coaching and training. In fact, employees say they will stay with a company longer that invests in their development. Coaching helps agents feel they are important and if done correctly, builds a relationship with the coach. It also helps deliver the necessary skills to be successful in their role. The more successful the agent feels the more likely they are to stay with the company.
Since coaching is so pivotal to the success of a contact center, it is important to discuss the ways to be a better coach.
Come Prepared
One of the fastest ways to make a coaching session ineffective is to not be prepared. Take the time to prepare beforehand so that time is not wasted. There are 3 easy ways to prepare for a coaching session.
- Eliminate distractions so you can be present for the coaching session
- Take notes and prepare specific questions and feedback to be used in the coaching session
- Identify the primary coaching focus
Have a Full Set of Tools
A study on learning methods showed that the majority of students learned best by using multiple learning styles, but that no particular style (or combination of styles) resulted in better outcomes than another.
What does that mean?
The most effective way to coach is through using multiple tools based upon different learning styles. Here are some tools to use:
- Self-evaluation
- Recorded Calls
- Skills Demonstration
- Role Plays
- Side by Side
Use Multiple Tools
Have a full set of tools is so important, but just as important is using the right tool at the right time. If you use the same tool in every coaching session, the coaching session will eventually lose its effectiveness. It is not a byproduct of the tool, but in how the coach uses their full set of tools.
You could listen to a call with the agent, have them self-evaluate the call, and then discuss the reasons why. You could have a side-by-side coaching session listening to the agent take live calls one time and then role play a specific scenario from those calls the next time. The point is to change up the tools you use in your coaching sessions.
Use Others to Coach
Just as mixing up the tools you use in coaching is important, so is using others to help coach. One of the benefits of being on a team is the chance to learn from others. On a contact center floor, you can listen to what successful people are saying and doing.
Use those around you to help in your coaching session. Agents could split in/listen to successful agents to emphasize a coaching topic. You could use successful agents to mentor new agents or even participate directly in your coaching session. Sometimes a new voice is all they need to believe and implement coaching.
If used properly, not only do you bring in a new voice to your coaching session, but you can prepare your next level of leadership. What a great way to develop your agents into leaders.
Follow Up
The most overlooked step in the coaching process is follow up. This is a chance to check-in and see the progress of the agent on their primary coaching topic.
Four simple rules for follow up:
- Set a specific date/time and expectations for what you will follow up on
- Be prepared and show up for the follow up appointment
- Use one of the previously discussed tools to review their progress
- Reward for good behavior
Coach the Coach
In coaching agents, you use metrics and recorded/live calls to evaluate performance. This is compared to expected results and performance. Then coaching is administered to ensure that the good behavior continues, and the bad behavior is changed.
This should be the same for the coach. The coach should be evaluated on their coaching effectiveness. Record the coaching sessions and then use the same coaching process to improve your coaching.
Coaching Platform
Given the need for having an effective coaching program, you need a solution that will allow you to:
- Create customized coaching forms based upon the situation
- Administer coaching sessions with a feedback process from supervisor to agent
- Shows trends and analytics for coaching topics
FiveLumens is an example of a coaching platform that meets all of the criteria above and more. It is not a typical coaching platform but is a Performance Enhancement Platform focusing on creating, delivering, and tracking training, coaching, and quality for contact centers. FiveLumens software makes coaching easy and effective. To learn more, get a demo.